The present invention relates to a frozen food product and a method of manufacturing it.
It is known to coat food portions, such as fillets of fish or meat portions, with a relatively thick coating (several millimeters) of batter and crumb material, such as breadcrumbs. The coating is then typically "fixed" for example by frying, before the product is frozen. The resulting product is acceptable to the consumer as an easily cooked meal. However, the coating masks the natural appearance of food portions from which the product is made.
JP 62048342 provides an example of a product which has a fixed batter/crumb coating which is achieved by exposing the coated food material to conditions of heated steam and dry heat until the core temperature reaches greater than or equal to 80.degree. C. Whereafter the coated food material is covered with oil and frozen.
A thick crumb/batter coating makes the product relatively straightforward for the consumer to cook, however the applicants have identified a desire to reduce the dominance of the coating layer in such food products so that the natural appearance and flavours of the food portions concerned can be more readily appreciated.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,910,370 and U.S. Pat. No. 3,078,172 describe typical conventional batter coated products wherein the composition of the batter allows consumer preparation without any further addition of oil.
In seeking to produce lightly coated food products that retain a more natural appearance and flavour it is desirable to produce particulate-coated products that do not involve the application of a conventional batter.
The relatively straight forward consumer cooking requirements of thick crumb/batter coated products can be contrasted with those of lightly coated food portions sought by the present invention which typically require more attention during consumer preparation, for example in selecting the quantity of oil for cooking and more generally in the care required when cooking.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,199,603 describes a process for preparing coated comestibles for microwave cooking. This product would not be suitable for frying without additional oil, as it does not contain sufficient oil. A frozen food portion is first of all coated with oil and then with a crisp, relatively dry particulate. This particulate is not itself coated with further oil. There is no stated intention to have as much as 10 wt% based upon the whole product of oil/fat.
EP-A-0091497 (Frisco-Findus) discloses a process for preparing a coated frozen fish product wherein a frozen fish piece is initially battered, then breaded a first time, thereafter coated with an edible fat in liquid form and finally breaded a second time before being frozen. The resulting product is not suitable for cooking by frying. Although oil contents of up to 15% by weight based upon the final product are in theory possible, all of the examples show oil contents below 10% by weight. Further, the coating is not itself suitable for cooking by frying, as not all of the breadcrumbs are completely covered in oil. It is not in fact the intention to ensure that an adequate amount of oil is retained on the fish piece, as excess oil is blown off after the oil application step.
It is an object of the present invention to provide a lightly coated frozen food product and method for manufacturing it, which product is relatively simple to cook by conventional methods, in particular by frying.
The inventors have realised that it is possible to provide a frozen food product which incorporates a light coating of particulate material and all the other ingredients necessary for conventional cooking, such as frying, including all the oil necessary.